Food, family and memories are as intertwined in the South as if woven on the same thread. At any function we attend, from a party to a wedding to a funeral, we are as likely to talk as much about the food that was there, as we are about why we are gathered. ~Mary Foreman

I'm your cook, not your doctor. ~PAULA DEEN

I found out what the secret to life is: friends. Best friends. ~Ninny Threadgoode

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed mushrooms are one of my favorite finger-food party snacks, but for these, I grabbed some stuffer caps - the bigger mushrooms already cleaned and ready to stuff - from my local and most favorite grocery store, Rouse's Market. You can use any kind of mushroom that can be stuffed of course, just be sure to save the stems and include them in your stuffing mix.

Thanks to my wonderful mother-in-law sending over a couple of packets of already picked crabmeat from Dad's last round of crab-trap-fetch earlier this summer, instead of the more traditional sausage or cheese stuffing, I thought that I would showcase some crab stuffing in them for a change. A small cookie scoop makes an easy job of stuffing these.

By the way, if you're not a lover of seafood as we are, mushrooms are fantastic when stuffed with a sausage mixture

Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onion and bell pepper; cook until softened, remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, toast the bread slices, sprinkle each piece with a good spray of water to wet them thoroughly and set aside in a bowl to let sit for about 2 minutes. Pick through the crabmeat to check for stray cartilage and shell; set aside.

Melt the remaining butter. Squeeze out the bread and break it up. Add the egg to the bread and mix. Add the salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning, Old Bay, and parsley; carefully turn until well mixed. Add the crab and half of the melted butter, gently mix.

Brush the tops of the mushroom caps with the butter and bake at 350 degrees F for 5 minutes. Remove, flip the caps over and brush with butter. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out the crab mixture and top each mushroom cap. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of bread crumbs and a tiny sprinkle of Parmesan, if desired. Drizzle top with remaining butter.

Bake at 350 degrees F about 20 minutes, or until mushroom has give to it and is cooked through. Serve warm with wedges of lemon.

Cook's Notes: If you are using regular mushrooms that have not already been cleaned, chop up and add the stems to your stuffing.

Sausage Variation: Eliminate the crab and Old Bay and mix in 1/4 cup of Parmesan or Romano cheese, or substitute 1/2 pound of browned, spicy breakfast sausage for the crab. Substitute shredded cheddar cheese, in place of the Parmesan.

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And yeah, football is in full on mode here. Had to take Trevor to the high school game last night, he has a game today, tomorrow, and on Tuesday. I think they forget these kids are only 11, but he loves it.

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You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients. ~Julia Child

The classic southern plate for supper is made up of meat and three, cornbread or rolls & a tall glass of sweet iced tea.

Oftentimes what makes a recipe southern, is as much a state of mind as it is a matter of geography - Southerners simply decide a particular food is southern, and that's that." ~Rick McDaniel, Food Historian

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